FIFA World Cup Feijoada - Brazilian Black Bean Stew

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With the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil well under way I have decided to share a recipe for a traditional Brazilian black bean stew, known as Feijoada. I have researched many recipes, all with slight variations, and have come up with my own variation. The basics include black beans and at least two cuts of pork, along with plenty of onion and garlic. I've used pork shoulder and pork belly, along with chorizo and a smoked sausage, which gives this beautifully rich stew, which is perfect for a World Cup get together.

  

I've used Coca-Cola in cooking before, to make 'Ham in Coke', which was a great success, so I decided to add some to the stew as I figured it would make the gravy much richer than water would. Coca-Cola is also a great accompaniment to a salty dish such as this stew, and what better way to celebrate the World Cup than with promotional World Cup 2014 bottles of Coca-Cola, found right in the middle of the Carbonated Drinks aisle in my local Tesco in Rugeley.



I used the slow cooker to make this, but it can be made in a large pan just as easily, over a very low heat. If you're having friends over to watch the football just pop it all in the slow cooker first thing in the morning and you will have a beautiful stew by early afternoon. 



Feijoada - Brazilian Black Bean Stew - serves 8-10

500g Black beans
700g Pork shoulder
500g Pork belly
100g Chorizo, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
bulb of garlic, peeled & crushed
200g Smoked sausage, sliced
400g tin of tomatoes
150ml Coca-Cola

• Place the beans in a bowl and cover with water and leave to soak overnight
• Drain the beans and add to the slow cooker
• Cut the pork shoulder and belly into 1" pieces and fry in batches until browned, add to the slow cooker
• Fry the chorizo, onion and garlic until lightly browned and add to the slow cooker
• Add the smoked sausage, tomatoes and Coca-Cola to the slow cooker and give everything a good stir
• Cook on high heat for approximately 4 hours, until the beans are tender

Serve with boiled rice and fresh coriander

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Football, Family & Flapjacks

We've just had a great weekend with lots of family time accompanied by great weather, which always helps.

We started on Saturday morning with both boys going to football whilst I prepared a picnic and made some flapjacks. We were then off down the M6 to meet up with my cousin for a picnic and a game of football in the park before going to a birthday party and then onto my parents house for a glass or two of wine whilst the kids again played football in the park with Pop Pop and his brother. It was then back home, up the M6, to watch Britain's Got Talent and bed.

Sunday morning was spent enjoying the sunshine in the garden before Hanna went to the school Duck Race with friends and we headed to Lichfield for a nail-biting football match.

It was then back to the local to meet up with Hanna, count a few ducks (of the plastic variety), quick pint and then home, and a chance to sit in the garden whilst the sun was still shining. Oh and did I mention that we also managed a trip to the pet shop to buy a new hamster!

An early lunch was called for on Sunday so I decided it would be a nice easy one, courtesy of Princes who sent us some of their Jumbo Hotdogs. To celebrate the upcoming World Cup in Brazil Princes also included a recipe for Hot Dog with Chilli Bean Salsa, inspired by the Brazilian version of the hot dog - 'Cachorro Quente'. The kids don't like food too spicy so I made a simple tomato salsa instead, minus the chilli and added a slice of cheese! If you're feeling braver than my kids the recipe is below - load up those hot dogs with toppings - the more the better!

I managed to make two batches of flapjacks over the weekend, with a layer of home-made rhubarb jam in the middle (made using my first crop of home grown rhubarb!). If you don't have any rhubarb jam, any jam will do.

Rhubarb Flapjacks

200g Butter or margarine

200g caster sugar

200g Golden syrup

400g Oats

150g Rhubarb jam

• Add the butter, sugar and syrup to a pan
• Heat gently until everything has melted and the mixture starts to come to the boil around the edges
• Remove from the heat and stir in the oats
• Add half of the mixture to a lined and greased 13"x9" pan & press down
• Spread the jam evenly over
• Add the remaining oat mixture over the jam & smooth over
• Bake in a preheated 170C oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown
• Allow to cool fully in the tin before slicing into squares

Chilli Bean Salsa

125g drained & rinsed cannellini beans

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp lemon juice

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 small green chilli, deseeded and chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

4 cherry plum tomatoes, diced

optional toppings

potato sticks

2-3 jalapeno sliced peppers

mashed potato with wholegrain mustard

• Roughly mash the beans with a fork
• Stir in the olive oil, lemon juice, chilli and garlic until combined
• Stir in the coriander, spring onions & tomatoes

To serve - place a hot dog in a roll & top with fried onions & peppers & generously spoon on the chilli bean salsa